MIRI: The contributions and sacrifices of veteran state athletes must never be forgotten.
The call was made by Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who said these athletes had to overcome hardships and difficulties.
“In applauding today’s heroes like Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Datuk Nicol David and Pandelela Rinong Pamg, sometimes we tend to overlook the contributions by our sports legends who achieved their triumphs during a time when there was limited or no facility at all.
“I believe that it is the responsibility of all – the government including my ministry, the media, the NGOs and, most importantly, the sports associations – to be aware of the welfare and wellbeing of our veteran athletes, especially those who are no longer able to be active in their games.
“I know that these veteran sportsmen and sportswomen did not do it for the money; to them, it’s all about state and national pride. This said, we all must not let them live in poverty. In fact, I call upon all the associations to ‘put a little bit of pressure’ upon the government in finding ways to help these individuals.
